Basketball Players Bolster Stetson's Hopes

SPORTS

DELAND — The basketball season had been over just a day before Tracy Brandenburg and four of her teammates dug through closets, trading hi-tops for cleats and a softball mitts.

In a day, Brandenburg went from ''Stetson freshman guard'' to ''Stetson freshman pitcher'' and the transition was made complete Sunday - just two days after the Hatters were eliminated from the New South Women's Athletic Conference basketball tournament - when the four basketball players joined the rest of their softball teammates for practice.

''It was a pretty quick off-season,'' Brandenburg said with a laugh.

Not quick enough, as far as softball coach Janiece Holder is concerned. Without the basketball players, she had just eight players for practice - ''If everybody was there,'' she added.

Little wonder then, that the Hatters opened the season Tuesday by dropping a doubleheader to Eastern Michigan, 4-1 and 14-2.

''Last year we started off slow and came together,'' Holder said. ''We just have to face it; we're going to start off slow again this year.''

Holder's definition of slow, however, shows that she is more accustomed to the fastpitch game when she added, ''Hopefully by Saturday we'll have everything together.''

The adjustment will take time, but at least the players are in shape.

''The timing is very off,'' Brandenburg said. ''It takes a little more time to react at first.''

Brandenburg, was an all-state selection as a shortstop at Lake Brantley High School last year, but she will pitch for Stetson. She has two problems besides the missed practice time, however: She played slowpitch last year, and she hasn't pitched in seven years.

Needless to say, her arm was a little sore after enduring 3 2/3 rocky innings Tuesday. But Stetson's other pitcher felt a little stiffness as well.

Cheri Nelson, a sophomore forward on the basketball team, didn't have much time to warm up her arm before starting the first game Tuesday.

Last year, Nelson led the team with an 11-7 record and a sparkling 2.08 earned run average. Some of last year's magic rubbed off early this year, as Nelson shut out Eastern Michigan through five innings Tuesday, holding 1-0 advantage.

''The team played really well, considering everything,'' Holder said. ''We had them, 1-0, before we made a few mental errors.''

The mental part of the game is the hardest to get accustomed to, Nelson said.

''It doesn't take long to get physically into it,'' she said. ''I'm tired - but I'm always tired. I think we're used to it. It's just like high school when we went from one sport to the next.''

For the players who stay with the one sport, it would be easy to resent the newcomers, but senior shortstop Robyn Swartz said that isn't the case.

''If somebody didn't care or didn't take it seriously, we might feel that way,'' Swartz said. ''But when you're at this level, you don't need somebody telling you you made a mistake.''

Swartz, a fifth-year senior who was injured last year and sat out the season, played on Stetson's NSWAC championship teams in 1986, '87 and '88. She anchors a senior-dominated infield that also includes third baseman Sandy Tankersley and second baseman Lynne Camposano.

Other returners include junior outfielder Patty Dailey, who led the team with a .315 batting average last year, and sophomore Jodie Switzer, who tied for the team lead with six stolen bases.

How well they do this season will play a big role in the team's efforts to improve on last year's 17-28 record.

According to Holder, the hard part is over.

''The hardest part was having one day of practice with the whole team,'' she said. ''It wasn't easy to run a practice with only eight players.''